Pneumatic conveyor system for transportation of bulk material



w. B. GRAY 2,972,499 PNEUMATIC CONVEYOR SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTATION Feb.21, 1961 OF BULK MATERIAL 2 Sheets Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 8, 1958 w SQ INVENTOR ATTORNEY 5 3 m, E mm W mm B an a Feb. 21, 1961 w. B. GRAY2,972,499

PNEUMATIC CONVEYOR SYSTEM FOR TRANSPORTATION OF BULK MATERIAL FiIed Aug.8, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 we 4 n H D N P P3 ifffla. 4 F 5 EPA INVENTORMLL/AM B. 624) Byg /zww ATTORNEYS 2,972,499 PNEUMATIC CONVEYOR SYSTEMFOR TRANS- PORTATION F BULK MATERIAL William B. Gray, 312 Webster Ave.,Brooklyn 30, N.

Filed Aug. 8, 1958, Ser. No. 754,047

7 Claims. (Cl. 302-17 This invention relates to pneumatic conveyorsystems and pneumatic conveyor methods, but more particularly topneumatic conveyor systems and methods for the transporting of bulkmaterial. By way of example, the material may be mined coal, mined ironor other ores, or metallic billets.

An important object of the invention is to provide a pneumatic conveyorsystem for the transporting of bulk material, not enclosed in carriers,such as those employed in pneumatic dispatch systems, through conduitsto destinations which may be miles distant from the loading or departurepoint.

Another. important object is to provide a pneumatic conveyor system forthe transportation of bulk material through conduits so constructed andarranged that the material may be introduced to a conduit at a loadingpoint below the ground surface and discharged at a point above theground surface. Such loading point may have a passageway for thematerial from the groundsurface to the conduit, so that the material maybe dumped at the ground surface, and discharged, by gravity, at thedischarge point.

Afurther important object is to, provide a system as described above, inwhich the material is introduced directly into a conduit through anopening or slot therein and the slot then covered by a closure, againstthe escape of air and material through the opening or slot, prior totransportation of the material through the conduit. For purposes ofeconomy, the closure may be a portion separated from the conduit toprovide a material receiving mouth.

Furthermore, an important object is to include pusher means behind theintroduced material but not under or in front of the latter and whichwill permit automatic discharge of the material at the destinationwithout discharge of the pushermeans at the discharge point ordestination of the material, the pusher means travelling to a pushermeans discharge point after the discharge of the material. v

Still another important object is to provide flexible and partlyresilient articulated pusher means which permits the same to travelalong curvatures in a conduit and will minimize damage to the pushermeans.

Additionally, an important object is to provide a pneumatic conveyorsystem for bulk material over long distances, which system does notcontemplate the employment of expensiveor complicated transportingmachinery but, instead, relatively simple and comparatively inexpensivestructures.

A further important object is to provide steps in the method of rapidlyhandling bulk material, such as stated, by way of example, and a pushermeans or body, temporarily associated with the material, for thepneumatic transportation of the material and pusher means or body overlong distances, such as over a mile, without the use of materialelevating or lowering machinery' and protecting the material, duringtransportation, against the 1 elements.

'ited States Patent Patented Feb. 21, 1961 Other objects and advantagesof the invention will be apparent during the course of the followingdetailed description of the invention, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, forming portions of this disclosure and in whichdrawings:

Figure 1 is a schematic top plan of the system, broken in several partsbecause of the proportional length of the system.

Figure 2 is a schematic side elevation also broken in several partsbecause of the proportional length of the system.

Figure 3 is a view partly in side elevation of an elevator means and ofa conduit with closure therefor of the system, and partly inverticalsection of a sub-surface zone.

Figure 4 is a vertical sectional view, substantially on the line 44 ofFigure 3.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary plan of a material discharge portion of thesystem. t

Figure 6 is an enlarged view, partly in side elevation and partly invertical section, of material pusher means of the system, disposed in aconduit. t

Figure 7 is a vertical section substantially on the line 77 of Figure 6.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown apreferred embodiment of the invention and wherein similar referencecharacters designate corresponding parts through the several views, theletter A designates a portion of the earth; B, a conduit; C,.a closuretherefor; D, elevator means for selectively raising and lowering saidclosure and retaining it in a raised position; E, support means forsupporting a portion of the conduit B above a surface as that of theportion A; F, pneumatic pressure fluid supply means for the movement ofthe material and pusher means G through the conduit B.

The system is adapted to be disposed on, above or in a portion A of theearth, or partly above, partly in or partly on this portion. The portionmay be earthy and/ or rocky and the portion may also include a body orbodies of water about the intermediate portion of the conduit B, sincethe system is adapted to transport material, through a conduit,extending through, below or above bodies of water as Well as land.

' In the example shown, the portion A may be provided with a suitablenumber of downwardly-extending passageways, one being shown, by way ofexample, in Figure 4 at 10, extending from the upper surface 11 of theportion A, preferably with downwardly-converging sides 12 to a materialreceiving mouth 27 of the conduit B to be subsequently described. Ifdesired, the sides may be faced, substantially as at 13, with anysuitable material as concrete, stone or metal, but this is not alwaysnecessary particularly where the portion, at the walls of thepassageway, is of hard material, as rock. In the example shown inFigures 1 and 2, the conduit B is shown to extend below the surface of abody 14 of water and one of the support means E, supporting a part ofthe conduit B, may extend over a body 14' of water forming a part of theportion A.

The conduit B is shown, by way of example, as a continuous, elongatedone, either straight or having longitudinally curved portions, and whichmay be of steel, comprise a plurality of sections, as the sections 15,16 and 17, suitably joined together in any approved way as byconventional welding or the use of conventional flanged ends and nutsand bolts, by way of example, to provide a substantially fluid-tightconduit. I prefer that the conduit wall be substantially circular intransverse section, as may be seen in Figure 7, with a preferablysubstantially smooth inner face 25. At the material loading portion 26of the conduit, I provide a material receiving mouth 27. Preferably themouth is an elongated slot in the conduit wall, extending longitudinallyof the conduit. The mouth 27 is of a size to receive the material to betransported or conveyed, which material may be large lumps of so-calledsteamboat anthracite coal, elongated metallic billets, as well asmaterial of lesser bulk. An example of the size of the mouth 27 may be,for a conduit of 12" interior diameter, a width of mouth substantially12" and length of substantially By way of example, there are shown twodischarge portions at either end of the system and comprise conduitsections 31 defining material discharge portions, and each beingprovided with a downwardly opening discharge mouth 32, shownparticularly in Figure 5, which mouth is preferably an elongated slot inthe section 31. This slot may be as long but is necessarily not quite aswide as the interior diameter of the conduit section 31, for a reasonlater detailed. For example, the width of the mouth 32 may be an inch ortwo less than the interior diameter of the section 31, but the width ofthe mouth 27 may be substantially equal to the interior diameter of theconduit section containing it. Material entering the sections 31 willdrop by gravity through the mouths 32.

Each of the discharge portions 30 also includes conduit sections 33defining a pusher means discharge portion for the discharge of pushermeans G to be subsequently described. The endmost conduit section 33 hasan open end mouth 34 from which the pusher means are ejected.

The material transporting portion 35 of the conduit B is disposed, inthe example shown, next to the two material loading portions 26, withthe latter between the portion 35 and the discharge portions 30, but inthe event there is but one material loading portion 26 and one dischargeportion 30, then the material transporting portion 35 would be betweenthese two portions 26 and 30.

For the purpose of controlling flow through the conduit B, I provide aplurality of spaced-apart valves, such as conventional pressure releasevalves 36 and interposed in the conduit sections 31.

Lateral conduit sections 56 are shown opening into the main conduitbetween the ends of the later and the material loading portions 26 andare parts of the pneumatic pressure fluid supply means F to be 'laterdescribed. By removing a portion of a cylindrical conduit wall toprovide the mouth 27, a closure C is provided, by the removed portion.Thus, there is provided a semi-circular closure.

Of course the mouth 27 opens upwardly and substantially aligns with thelower mouth of the passageway 10, whereby bulk material deposited in thepassageway will drop through the mouth 27 into the conduit and theclosure C may be raised or lowered through the passageway.

I have discovered that it is not satisfactory to provide a hingedclosure. Bulk material has a way of lodging on the edge portion of amouth, like the mouth 27, containing the hinge and jams the hingedclosure when it is lowered, frequently breaking the hinge. Moreover,such hinged closures are in the way when depositing bull: material intoa mouth disposed below a surface 11.

Elevator means D to selectively raise or lower the closure from or toclose the mouth and to retain the closure suspended above the mouth andpassageway may be any approved means for the purpose. For example, inFigures 3 and 4 there are shown a support structure 40 including corneruprights 41, of similar construction, connected at their upper endportions by horizontal side cross members 42 and horizontal end crossmembers '43 with a horizontally-disposed shaft 44, journalled in the endmembers and rotatably supporting a pair of pulleys or sheaves 45,secured thereto and with suitable cables 46 trained thereover with anend of each secured to the upper portion of the closure C as by eyedmembers extending from the closure C. The cables 46 may extend toconventional winches (not shown) for manually winding up or paying outthe cables. In order to guide the closures in their up and downmovement, I may employ guideways 47 for sliding contact of the cornerportions of the closure. It will be seen, as in Figure 4, that it ispreferred that the closure may be raised considerably above thehorizontal plane of the upper surface 11 so that material to betransported may be readily introduced into the passageway 10 and fromthence fall through the mouth 20 into the conduit. The weight of theclosure C may be augmented by a weighted member 48 disposed upon theupper surface of the closure and which may be conventionally weldedthereto. The closure will then remain in a closed position despitepressure exerted against it by the pressure fluid within the conduit.

In some cases, it will be desirable to position the material receivingmouth 27 at or slightly above the ground surface. For example, theconduit B may have one or more portions disposed upon the portion A, orwith this or these conduit portions partly below the surface of theportion A so that the mouth 27 and the surface of the portion A will bein the same horizontal plane. In any case, a closure C and elevatormeans D for the closure will be provided.

The means E to support the discharge portions 30 preferably above thegeneral surface 11 (so that material discharged from the mouths 32 maydescend by gravity into trucks or barges, for example, positioned likethe barge X below the mouth '32) preferably comprises suitable trestles50 to which the conduit B ascends gradually and then levels off, such asshown in Figure 2. These are of conventional construction other thanthat each has means to receive the pusher means G to be described asthis means is discharged from the months 34. This means may be aslideway 51 from the top of the trestle to the surface 11.

The pneumatic fluid pressure supply means F may be suitable fluid-tightreservoirs 55 and 55' for fluid (as air) under pressure with conduits 56and 56 therefrom opening into the conduit B at suitable locations whichare preferably at the material loading portions 26, with the conduitsections containing the months 27 being between the materialtransporting portion 35 and the means G when the latter is in anoperative position behind the material to be pushed, as will bedescribed below. In addition to the valves mentioned, there may be aconventional gate valve 57 and 57' interposed in the conduits 56preferably closely adjacent the point the conduits 56 open into theconduit B and gate valves 58' interposed in the conduit closely adjacentthe valves 57 and 57 respectively.

Since the material transported is bulk material with minute torelatively large interstices between the bodies making up the material,pusher means G which is substantially air-impervious is provided foreffective operationof the system. Suchmeans is shown in Figures 6 and 7,and comprises a pusher assembly made up of a plurality (as four) ofcylindrical pusher bodies comprising a forward pusher body 60, rearwardpusher body 61 and a suitable number ofintermediate pusher bodies 62with resilient means as rubber disc bodies 63 between the bodies 60 and62 and 61 and 62, and all flexibly secured together, as by a cable 64.The bodies 60, 61 and 62 may be hollow, with tubular side walls anddisc-like end walls and 66, each of the end walls being provided with anaxial opening 67, and each of the rubber disc bodies 63 also beingprovided with axial openings 68 normally aligning with the openings 67.Preferably, the front end wall 65 of the forward pusher body 60 and therear end wall 66 of the rearward pusher body 61 are removable so thataccess may be had to the interior of the most forward body 60 in orderto secure thereto one end of the cable 64 which may be provided with aneye 69 after the end is threaded through the opening 66 in the rear endwall 66,

of the pusher body 60, and this eye secured to the hook of preferably aflat-headed eye-bolt 70 extending inwardly from the end wall 65.Outwardly of the end wall 66 of the pusher body 61 the cable may have abecket eye 71 or the like for attaching a cable (not shown) thereto formoving the means G as by a crane or the like. The becket eye may includea conventional clamp 72 in abutment with the outer face of the end wall66 of the body 61. I prefer to provide antifriction means 73 about theouter peripheries of the bodies 60, 61 and 62. Such means may be, forexample, cylinders of rubber and fabric, well surfaced and impregnatedwith lubricants, since rubber bearings are desirable where particleslike metallic particles, grit and other abrasives might be encountered.The use of the flexible cable 64 and the resilient means, as the discs63, permits the pusher means G to flex or curve longitudinally as whenit is projected through a longitudinally curved portion of the conduitB.

In the system as illustrated, with fluid pressure cut off from theconduit B as by closing the gate valves 57 and 57 and gate valve 58 alsoclosed, but gate valve 58 open, one of the pusher means G is positionedin the conduit, as introduced through the passageway and mouth 27 at thematerial loading portion 26 adjacent the extreme right hand parts ofFigures 1 and 2 and moved to the right in these views so that its pusherbody 60 clears the vertical plane of the mouth 27. Material is nowintroduced through the mouth into the conduit and both closures Clowered (if the distant one be not already closed) to close the mouths.With therelief valves 36 in operative condition, the gate valve 57' isopened and the pressure fluid (as air) when released will force theintroduced pusher means G to contact the material and, in turn, force itforward until the material reaches the discharge mouth 32 at the extremeleft in Figures 1 and 2, whereupon the material will drop therefrom butthe pusher means G, because its diameter is greater than the width ofthe discharge mouth, will continue on and discharge from the mouth 34and slide down the slideway 51 where it and other ejected pusher meansmay be collected and, at an opportune time, returned, after beingintroduced through the left-hand mouth 27 of Figures 1 and 2, theclosures C closed, the valve 58 closed and the valve 58' opened.- Thepusher means will finally eject from the opposite mouth 32 and may becollected and re-introduced, one after another, back of a charge ofmaterial. Of course, if it is desired to introduce material into theconduit through the mouth 27 at the left-hand parts of Figures 1 and 2,the procedure will be, as is now believed apparent, so that the materialwill discharge from the mouth 32 at the extreme right-hand part ofFigures 1 and 2.

While the pressure relief valves can be so adjusted, as is wellunderstood, so that all of the material will have an opportunity to dropfrom the discharge mouth ahead of the pusher means G, the pressure mustbe sufficient to keep the pusher means moving until it is dischargedfrom the end mouth 34. In this respect, the discharge mouths 32 act inpart as relief valves, so that the pusher means will not overshoot theslideways 51. Because the pressure means is resilient, any shock towhich it is subjected upon reaching the bottom of the slideway is takenup without damage to the pusher means. The resilient means 63 of thepusher means also cushions the latter as the pressured pusher bodiesfirst contact a charge of inert bulk material in the conduit.

Various changes may be made to the form of the invention herein shownand described, without departing from the spirit of the invention orscope of the claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a pneumatic conveyor system for transportation of bulk material, aconduit arcuate in transverse section having a material loading portion,a material discharge portion and a material transporting portionintermediate the material receiving and discharge portions, saidconduit, at said material loading portion, having a material receivingmouth having upwardly facing longitudinal edges, a closure, arcuate intransverse section, for said mouth and having downwardly facinglongitudinal edges for disposition upon said upwardly facing edges, andelevator means for selectively raising said closure from said mouth andfor selectively lowering 'said closure to close said mouth and forreleasably retaining said closure, in a substantially horizontalposition, raised above the vertical plane of said mouth, wherebymaterial may be introduced into said mouth through the space between theraised closure and said mouth, pneumatic means to cause said material tomove through said conduit toward and to said material discharge portionincluding a pressure fluid under pressure, and air-impervious pushermeans within said conduit interposed between said material and saidpressure fluid under pressure.

2. In a pneumatic conveyor system for transportation of bulk material, aconduit, circular in transverse section, having a material loadingportion, a material discharge portion and a material transportingportion intermediate the material receiving and discharge portions, saidconduit, at said material loading portion, having a material receivingmouth with upwardly facing elongated parallel edges, a closure,semi-circular in transverse section, for said mouth and havingdownwardly facing elongated parallel edges for disposition upon saidupwardly facing edges, elongated cylindrical pusher elements for slidingthrough said conduit, and elevator means for selectively raising saidclosure in a substantially vertical path from said mouth and forselectively lowering said closure in a substantially vertical path toclose said mouth and for releasably retaining said closure, in asubstantially horizontal position, raised above the vertical plane ofsaid mouth, whereby material and said pusher elements may be introducedinto said mouth through the space between the raised closure and saidmouth, and pneumatic means to cause said material to move through saidconduit toward and to said material discharge portion.

3. In a pneumatic conveyor system for transportation of bulk material,the combination with a generally honzontally-disposed layer of earthlymaterial having a downwardly-converging passageway therethrough, of aconduit having a material loading portion, a material discharge portionand a material transporting portion intermediate the material receivingand discharge portions, said conduit, at said materialloading portion,having a material receiving elongated mouth disposed at and opening intothe lower end of said passageway, an elongated closure for said mouth,elongated pusher means for sliding through said conduit, and elevatormeans for selectively raising said closure in a substantially verticalpath from said mouth and for selectively lowering said closure in asubstantially vertical path to close said mouth and for releasablyretaining said closure, in a substantially horizontal position, raisedabove the horizontal planes of said mouth and passageway, wherebymaterial and said pusher means may be introduced into said mouth throughsaid passageway and the space between the riased closure and said mouth,and pneumatic means to cause said material to move through said conduittoward and to said material discharge portion.

4. A pneumatic conveyor system for transportation of bulk material,including an elongated conduit having a material loading portionadjacent one end thereof, a material discharge portion adjacent theother end thereof, a pusher means discharge portion at said other end,and a material transporting portion intermediate the material receivingand discharge portions, said conduit, at said material loading portion,having a material receiving mouth, a closure for said mouth and elevatormeans for said closure, substantially air impervious pusher means forintroduction to said conduit through said month back of bulk materialintroduced into said conduit at said mouth, said material dischargeportion having a downwe rdly-opening material discharge mouth, formed byan elongated slot in said conduit, and pneumatic means to cause theintroduced bulk material and said pusher means to move through saidconduit toward and to said ma-v terial discharge mouth for the dischargeof said introduced bulk material at said downwardly opening dischargemouth and the discharge of said pusher means at said pusher meansdischarge mouth.

5. A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 4 characterized inthat the said pusher means is an elongated pusher assembly having ageneral width greater than the width of said discharge mouth, wherebysaid pusher body will not discharge at said material discharge mouth.

6. A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 5 15 2,736,611

characterized in that said pusher means discharge mouth is defined bythe open end of said'conduit.

7. A pneumatic conveyor system according to claim 5 characterized inthat said pusher assembly is articulated and comprises a plurality ofrigid pusher bodies, a resilient disc body between each two pusherbodies and a flexible cable connecting said bodies in side face to sideface relationship.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,258,174 Chawner Oct. 7, 1941 2,539,109 Webb Ian. 23, 1951 2,573,907Humphreys Nov. 6, 1951 Wesh Feb. 28, 1956

